La Bête
by RaversAnthem
Summary: AU. She was supposed to go to Gumball's party, but instead Fionna finds herself hunting down Cake, who's disappeared. But will finding Cake present a new danger?


**AN: **I haven't seen this done yet and thought I might see if you all like the idea... Have you figured it out? Please, favourite and comment if you like this and would like to see it continued. Or feedback! Also good.

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Fionna panted, slowing to a stop and leaning her hands on her knees where she stood. "Glob..." she muttered, "Those were stubborn wolves!" she straightened and looked behind her. The woods were quiet and dark.

And unfamiliar.

Where was she? She glanced around and nothing looked familiar. The trees were dark, branches scraggly, bare, and reaching for her. She stood on what barely constituted a path, and above her the moon's light was darkened by clouds. "Cake, this is so not algebraic. Why'd you have to go and get yourself lost? I was supposed to go to Gumball's party!" Likely, it was some concoction or another by her sister for another adventure, but the cat couldn't have had worse timing. In the short time she'd tracked Cake to a forest just outside Ooo and entered it she'd been trapped in quickjelly, nearly set afire by wild Cinnahearts, and chased and attacked by a pack of Hug Wolves that had stolen her sword before she'd managed to get away.

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU UUUUUUUUGGSSS." The cry came from surprisingly close and Fionna knew she hadn't lost the Hug Wolves. Turning, she broke back into a run down the path. It twisted and turned harshly, and the further she ran the more dangerous it seemed to get. She darted below overhanging limbs that moved suspiciously, hopped over roots the came out of no where, and tried to keep pace as the howls grew closer. The path continued to become more and more overgrown as she ran and, tired as she was, eventually she didn't catch sight of a root in time. The wooden appendage seemed to sweep her legs out from under her and Fiona went sprawling forward onto slick stone.

Dazed from the fall, she lay there breathing heavily for a moment. A snorting and soft growl from behind her had her scrambling forward as fast as she could move. Her hand came down on a loose stone and she rolled over, holding the rock over her head and ready to throw it at whatever was behind her. The sight that greeted her made her freeze. Six pairs of glowing eyes shown out of the forest she'd just come from. Some moved in the darkness as if pacing, restless to get her. The others were completely still. Silence reigned for long moments as she stared the eyes down, finally one pair of glowing silver eyes lifted to the sky and an eardrum shattering howl broke the silence. Other voices joined in, and then suddenly all six pairs of eyes turned and disappeared into the forest once again.

Dumbfounded, Fionna sat on the stone for a long time, watching the forest to be sure they weren't coming back. When they didn't, she eventually dragged herself to her feet. She immediately regretted it as her ankle gave a sharp jolt of pain right up her leg.

"You've got to be flipping kidding me!" she exclaimed, glaring down at her traitorous ankle. The was when she noticed the stone she'd fallen on wasn't just stone—it was stone brick! She turned slowly around and craned her neck upwards. The gigantic castle that greeted her was straight out of the best vampire flick she'd ever seen!

"Mathematical!" Suddenly, her night was looking a whole lot better. She limped forward to the twisted, wrought iron gate and pushed it open. It didn't so much creak as scream in agony as she moved it. Beyond the gate lay dark beds of dead gardens. Twisted and dried branches of rosebushes, the corpses of what may have been flowers, and other bits and pieces littered the grounds. The walk that lead to the front of the castle was the same stone brick, and the path was lined with massive stone monsters.

Fionna climbed over one carefully, walking lightly on her ankle. "What the math is this place?" she breathed, looking up at the twisted mess of towers that made up the castle. Precarious walkways, some crumbling into decay, connected towers at random intervals. There was no order to be seen.

Making her way to the front doors she realized it was perfectly still except for the sounds of her steps and her breathing. She glanced back to the woods, "I wonder if this place is what scared them off...?" She turned back to the door and pressed on the wood to push the door open. Her hand went right through the rotted wood, "Oh, GROSS!" she shook her hand and wiped it in her skirt. The next time she attempted to open the door she pressed her shoulder into it instead of her hand. The wood of the door gave some, and then the door slowly scraped open. She stepped in a dark, cavernous room, and coughed at the dust the door had kicked up.

"Hello! Anyone home? I'm looking for my friend, Cake! She's a cat!" she called as she walked deeper into the darkness. A flash of light caught her attention and she twisted to find only darkness. "Hello! Anyone? I saw you with the light—you don't have to be afraid! I'm a good guy!" she limped toward where she'd seen the light. Moving through the doorway, a dim light at the end of the hallway caught her attention. "Hey! You! I see you with the light there! Come back? I just want to talk!" she leaned on the stone wall and limped down the hall after the light. She saw no one moving in the darkness, but the light remained ahead of her without fail, no matter how slow of fast she walked. Resigned, she followed the light out of curiousity—lights didn't take people places without reason.

Eventually the light disappeared around another corner. When Fionna followed, the hallway opened up into a stone room. Light filtered through high, barred windows. She looked up to see the clouds had begun to clear. How long had she been in the darkness?

"Fionna?" the familiar voice made her snap to attention.

"Cake!" A set of very familiar eyes peeked through a slotted hole in a solid door. "Cake, what are you doing in there!?" Fionna limped forward.

"What does it look like, girl? I got kidnapped!" the feline eyes rolled.

"Don't worry, Cake, I'll get you out before you can say 'unacceptable'!" Fionna slipped her backpack from her shoulder and dug through it until her hands wrapped around something heavy. She pulled the Enchiridion from her pack. "This will do." She lifted the heavy book above her head and focused on the door's lock. Squinting, she aimed, pulling her hands as far back as she could before—

"FIONNA BEHIND YOU!"

Fionna spun, book still in hand, and screamed.


End file.
